Leith St Andrew's Parish Church

Miss Jekyll’s Gardening Boots 1920 Sir William Nicholson      Tate Gallery This is the first Sunday in Advent. We watch and we wait for the coming of Jesus. There are other more usual and beautiful symbols of Advent- the candle, with its light shining in the darkness or the wreath with its bright berries and green … More Sunday Evening Thought

God of surprises,as Advent approaches, we turn our thoughtsto waiting once more, but this yearwe are used to waiting, and probablymore than a little fed up with it: waiting on rules and regulations,waiting in queues outside shops,waiting on churches to open their doors,waiting anxiously on the results of testswaiting on a vaccine,waiting for good news. … More Wednesday Prayers, 25 November 2020

The Shepherd Boy Phoebe Anna Traquair National Galleries Scotland I like the sense of purpose in this shepherd boy‘s face. He is gazing intently ahead, searching for his sheep.  He seems completely caught up in the task with his head tilted forward and his right hand shading his eyes against the light so that he … More Sunday Evening Thought

Originally posted on One Church for Leith:
God of the beginning and end and everything in between,take this moment of our time and make it sacred:a meeting-place for us and You.May we be still and know that You are God. We think of the churches here in Leith:the churches of Scotland as we search for…

Treasure hidden in a field Corita Kent   National Galleries Scotland One of the Bible readings for today is the Parable of the Talents or the Three Servants in Matthew’s Gospel.  One of the servants hides the money his absent master has given him to use and invest in the buying and selling of ordinary life. … More Sunday Evening Thought

God, we are used to surprisesbut not always used to You surprising us.It’s often hard to get a handle on lifeand understand what’s happening even as it happens;we can easily be wrong-footed and thenfeel confused, angry and, especially, helpless. But we trust in Your perspectivefrom beyond history and timeand worries about the future,because You are … More Wednesday Prayers, 11 November 2020

Fallen Trees, Moorfoot Hills Peter Cattrell Today is Remembrance Sunday. Bleak and tangled trees dominate this photograph and take me back to images of the landscapes of World War 1 and to the devastation and destruction of that time. Yet, even here, there are suggestions of life. Grass surrounds the base of the trees and … More Sunday Evening Thought

Originally posted on One Church for Leith:
Eternal God, we woke up this morningafter the most bitterly fought U.S. election in memoryand we pray for a future in which people will stand up,not for blind belief in human leadersor for whatever happens to benefit their own lives,but for justice, peace, and greater equality.May those who…